Pontoon Lifts

[MSUbb1]

Newbie without a pontoon, spending the winter researching. Do most people on the forum have a lift for their pontoon? If so, do brands matter or is material the most important thing (ie. aluminum vs. steel, etc) Is there a certain environment where it makes more sense to have a lift? I would imagine if the toon is stored on a larger body of water with rough conditions vs. a small, calm lake it woud make more sense. Also, if you are away for long periods of time where you can't visually inspect what is going on, etc............

[MH Hawker]

Mine stays on a wet slip for 9 mouths. no lift.

[Bamaman]

Most people store their pontoons on trailers, and put them in and out as they use them.

This forum has so many people posting that there's a little of everything. Every situation is addressed. And every situation is different. Every lake is different. Every region is different.

With pontoon boats, there really is no norm.

[bassn386]

At the lake where I live, lifts are the norm. We get big boats (40'+) and lots of wind & wave action. Not only that, but algae growth is a real issue during the growing season. I remember the first couple of years with my old pontoon. We were in the back of a cove which was in the back of another cove and didn't get much in the way of big boats, but the bottom growth was an issue. Every winter I had the toon pulled out of the water and then spent about $250 getting the algae removed. That was in the early to mid-90s; I have no idea what it would cost to have that done today.
My lift is a little different than most. It is secured to the front of the dock and cantilevers down when lowered. The benefit is that, even in low water conditions, I'm able to get my boat on and off, whereas some of my neighbors have to wait until the lake starts to fill back up in the spring. The negative is that when I leave the dock I have to raise the lift, otherwise it could be damaged by wave action. I solved that by having a remote installed so I can back out, hit the button to raise the lift, wait for it to come back up, hit another button to shut it off and go on my merry way. Granted, it does take a little while when returning to get the lift to lower because there's very little weight. I've had the same lift (with a couple of mods) since 1997.

[ronb]

Around here everybody who lives on a lake has a lift. Those of us who trailer everywhere don't have to worry about a lift because either I am on the pontoon, or the pontoon is on its trailer.

[BobL]

I am probably going to do a lift in the spring. Right now, my boat stays in the water 9 months a year then I pull it out (did this yesterday) and keep it on the trailer till Feb/March.

We too have algae issues so I have to clean the toons at least twice a year. We also have hurricane issues so I typically have to pull it out every two years when a storm is on the way. Even if I get a lift, I may pull the boat out if the hurricane is a strong Cat 2 or bigger. A lot of my neighbors have to leave their boats on the lift when a hurricane comes because they have no trailer. They end up tying the lift to the support poles and pray.

The primary reason I am considering a lift is the fact I dont have to cover the boat every Sunday when I leave and come back the next weekend. I will still cover it if I am gone for more than a couple of weeks but it will be a covered lift.

[Todd4]

I'm on a bayou with pretty good water fluctuation. I'm considering some kind of a floating lift, because:
1) It's either shallow (for 10 feet) then drops off deep, real fast.
2) I need to get the boat and lift out in a hurricane. Or sink the lift? I dunno.

I haven't decided which way I'm going to go yet (except that it'll be expensive).

Todd

[cwag911]

This is ours.

[TSully980]

Here at the Ozarks the need for a lift is paramount. With the wind and the big boats there are a lot of waves. There are several different types and brands. The ones with nylon bushings seem to be the most quiet. With the wave action the boat bounces up and down and if you don't have the nylon bushings you hear squeaks. I keep my boat on my lift year 'round. I do have a de-icer as well. This prevents ice from forming around the dock, which is very important. I had to repair my ramp, about a thousand dollars, because the power to the dock was shut off. The prices for a lift range dramatically. The one in the pic below cost me 6 grand and is used. Be sure to get enough capacity for the boat. The pic here is a 6000 lb lift. It's a Poly lift. The other pic shows the boat on the lift and out of the water.